Three face jail over cigarette smuggling
THREE smugglers who imported illicit cigarettes into Heathrow Airport concealed in fish pumps and table tops have been jailed for more than 10 years.
Al Gui He, 38, of Charlton, Ya Ming He, 44, of Greenwich, and Shou Chen, 48, of no fixed address, were caught in June 2016 at Heathrow Airport.
Border Force officers discovered hidden tobacco that had arrived from China.
The trio used lock-ups at six storage facilities across London to store the illicit cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco, evading £475,000 in unpaid excise duty in the process.
Officers then searched a selfstorage unit in Charlton, rented by Gui He and Chen. They found smuggled goods concealed in table tops and cigarettes among packaging for army toys, fish pumps and dummy camera boxes.
Three days later on June 17, officers swooped on a storage unit in New Cross and arrested the trio as they turned up for a delivery of illicit tobacco.
Chen fled before the trial started while Gui He disappeared once the jury started considering its verdict. They both remain on the run.
Simon Kiefer, from HMRC, said: “Chen and Gui He dodged paying tax and are now trying to avoid justice by going on the run.
“We need the help of the public to track them down so they can begin their prison sentence. These criminals created an uneven playing field for legitimate businesses and put a burden on the honest majority.
“HMRC will continue to crack down on those involved in the sale, smuggling or distribution of illicit tobacco, which is stealing from the public.”
He added: “This was a lengthy and complex investigation, which involved the close cooperation of a number agencies. We are satisfied that the sentences passed reflect the serious nature of these offences, including the significant loss to the public revenue and also the danger to public health. If you know the whereabouts of Chen and Gui He, or of anyone committing tobacco fraud, please report it to HMRC online or by calling our Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887.”
Around 116,200 counterfeit cigarettes hidden in boxes, along with 96kg of hand rolling tobacco, were found in lock-ups in Charlton, Bermondsey, New Cross, Eltham and Beckenham.
The trio had also evaded around £425,000 importing HRT through Heathrow hidden in restaurant table tops, attempting to cover their tracks by claiming they were for a Chinese restaurant which did not exist.
Chen flew on a one-way ticket to China before the trial started at Woolwich Crown Court on July 23, 2018 while Gui He also absconded. They were found guilty and sentenced in their absence to five and four years in jail respectively.
Ming He was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment.
On sentencing, His Honour Judge David Miller, said: “This was a highly sophisticated enterprise involving concealments of tobacco in furniture via freight importations and cigarettes via parcels from China.
“The large quantity of counterfeit cigarettes onto the UK market amounted to a significant risk to public health.”
The seized tobacco was forfeited along with £1,315 of cash found during searches and warrants issued.